Canon AE-1 Spring Giveaway Winners Announced

It’s springtime (finally), and to help spread the joy of photography we began April with a giveaway. We asked our readers to post photos to our accounts on Ello, Facebook, and Instagramusing the hashtag #casualphotophilespringtime, and to make images that showed what springtime means to them.

Like our last giveaway, the response was overwhelming. We received hundreds of submissions from all over the globe; from local shooters in Boston, and from countries as distant as Portugal, Sweden, and Japan.

To connect with other photo-geeks and be witness to these small scenes from our readers’ lives has been amazing. It’s easily the most rewarding part of running CASUAL PHOTOPHILE and we want to thank everyone who shared with us.

The quality and variety of the shots we received left us wishing that we could give a free camera to every single person who submitted a shot. Alas, we’ve only got one Canon AE-1 to give away. But we’re also giving away some prints of our Exploded View sessions to three honorable mentions.

We were looking for a submission that made us feel the joy of springtime; that the world was fresh and new and that adventure awaited us if we would only jump into that world. We were looking for a shot we wanted to be a part of, to jump in and experience the joy of springtime.

There were countless images that brought this feeling of playful excitement and wonder, and choosing a winner was difficult, but in the end we just couldn’t help but fall in love with this image of a playful pup swimming contentedly through some of the most beautiful water we’ve ever seen captured on film.

The shot was taken by Joshua Egts of Seattle, Washington. The dog’s name is Bailey, and Joshua tells us that when spring rolls around there’s nothing this pup loves more than to swim in the cool water and retrieve golfballs chipped from the shore.

We love the ethereal quality of the water, the grain of the film, and the way Bailey’s color contrasts with the gorgeous water that surrounds her. Of all the shots submitted, this one feels the most organic, and every time we look at it we want to get out and have some fun.

It makes us want to go for a swim, lay on the grass, stare lazily at the clouds, and maybe run around with our own canine pals for a bit.

Yes, it’s a beautiful shot, and for it Joshua’s going to come away with a beautiful AE-1.

But we couldn’t stop there. After seeing all the amazing submissions and the passion that all of you displayed in our last giveaway, we wanted to give more readers a chance to win. So three additional readers will be receiving one of our Canon AE-1 Exploded View prints. This is just another small way to show our gratitude for your support and for allowing us to be a part of your photographic pursuits.

The first of our three honorable mentions comes from Manon Vacher of France, who submitted her shot via our Facebook page. Her photo brings to mind the calming bliss we all find when the cold of a frigid winter turns to the warmth of a youthful spring. More of her exceptional work can be seen on her Facebook and Flickr pages.

The next honorable mention comes via our Instagram feed, and was shared by Kitty Wang, of California. Her shot is a lighthearted look at the way spring can beautify even the darkest roads. Her shot helps us reflect on the way the season blankets us in an abundance of beauty, color, and light, and can turn even a simple walkway into something magical.

The final honorable mention comes from João Narciso, of Portugal, whose shot brings to mind a longing for the things that spring brings; life, nature, growth. It also makes us think of the tentative nature of the seasons, and the effort needed to really connect with the world around us.

And that wraps up our latest giveaway. Many of you who submitted shots are amazing photographers, and you should all be proud of your work. We love to see the images you make, and we can’t wait to launch another giveaway.

In fact, we’ll just announce today that in October we’ll be having a CASUAL PHOTOPHILE Oktoberfest celebration. That photo contest will see one lucky reader win their very own Leica M3. We hope you’ll all look forward to that.

Until then, keep shooting, and thanks to everyone who visits, reads, and contributes. You guys are the best.